Telangana will receive an additional ₹340 crore under the Centre’s rural employment programme, Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy announced on Monday. The enhanced allocation is aimed at strengthening rural employment opportunities and infrastructure development in the state as part of the Viksit Bharat mission.
The minister said the increased funding reflects the Centre’s commitment to improving livelihood security for rural households while expanding durable asset creation in villages. Telangana is among the states set to benefit from the revised financial outlay under the rural job scheme.
Higher National Allocation
At the national level, the Union government has increased funding for the scheme by ₹17,000 crore compared to the previous year. The additional allocation is intended to ensure timely wage payments, expand permissible works and improve monitoring mechanisms.
Focus on Transparency and Monitoring
The revised framework introduces several measures to improve efficiency and accountability, including:
- Penalties for delays in wage payments
- Increased supervision funding to strengthen oversight
- Geo-tagging of works to track project progress and reduce irregularities
These steps are expected to enhance transparency and ensure that funds reach beneficiaries without delays.
Boost to Rural Infrastructure
Officials said the additional funds would support projects such as water conservation works, rural connectivity, land development and community infrastructure, while continuing to provide wage employment to rural workers.
Political Context
The announcement comes amid ongoing political debate over changes to the rural employment framework. While opposition parties have raised concerns over certain provisions, the Union government has defended the reforms, stating they are designed to modernise implementation and improve outcomes for rural workers and farmers.
